Albertsons Going For the Business

Office Depot Inc. (Delray Beach, Fla.) has announced an agreement to place office and school supply shops in 18 Albertsons stores in three markets: Chicago, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

The Office Depot shops will feature an assortment of more than 700 products, ranging from ink jet cartridges, copier paper and writing instruments to mailing and school supplies. The Albertsons stores in the pilot project operate under the Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Albertsons-Osco, Sav-on Drugs and Osco Drug banners.

Albertsons (Boise, Idaho) has recently entered into a number of selective partnerships with non-competitive brand product companies. Earlier this year, the supermarket and drugstore retailer announced the opening of Toys “R” Us 'Toy Box' departments in all of its stores. It has also enjoyed successful partnerships with Krispy Kreme donuts (generating the largest sales numbers for Krispy Kreme outside that company's own stores) and Starbucks coffee.

“The Office Depot name is synonymous with quality, value and reliability in the office-supply sector,” said Albertsons chairman and ceo Larry Johnston. “Shoppers make 1.4 billion trips a year to our stores and we will be offering them an opportunity to choose from a vast selection of office and school supplies to add to their shopping carts.”